Are You Sprinting a Marathon?

Photo by Steve Woods at stock.xchng.

When I was at the height of my workaholism, often putting in 65-70 hours per week, I remember saying to my husband, Todd: “I feel like I’m sprinting a marathon!!”

I haven’t actually run a marathon, but I have run several half marathons. Hence, I know that one of the most important techniques a long-distance runner must focus on is pacing. Don’t start out too hard (maybe?), keep a steady pace, don’t wear yourself out by running too fast, etc…

Life, and work life in particular, functions pretty much the same. Your body and mind can handle spurts of intense work and long hours (sprinting). For example, it’s pretty common to work late right before a product launch. Unfortunately, many of us get trapped into “sprinting” for months (or years!) at a time (a marathon). However, most people can’t keep that kind of pace up forever. In fact, it is counterproductive. Lack of sleep leads to lack of focus during the day, long hours away from home strain relationships with loved ones, and ultimately you burn out.

I want to share a story from a childhood book to illustrate the importance of pacing oneself. I grew up in Sweden, where we have a well-known book series called “Kulla-Gulla.” Think Anne of Green Gables sprinkled with socialist propaganda. It is the story of an orphaned girl who comes to live with a poor family to help them out with their small farm and lots of children. It seems like she doesn’t have a lot going for her, but she has figured out how to get her work done effectively:

“Gulla’s way of working was efficient. At twelve years of age, she already had several years of experience and had learned how to utilize all the strength of her lean arms. She didn’t carry heavy loads, if she could help it. And she never rushed through a task in order to later get five minutes of rest while catching her breath and panting from exhaustion. She had found this to be a bad calculation. Rather, she carried small loads that her arms could easily handle and took several trips, rather than taking one trip with a big load. She moved with smooth and rhythmic motions, breathed calmly while going about her work, and paid much of attention to the task at hand.”

(My translation of the passage from Kulla-Gulla by Martha Sandwall-Bergström.)

What powerful advice from a different culture and a different time!

If you feel like you are sprinting a marathon, take a look at the following ideas to pace yourself:

• Recognize that you are running too fast and slow down. This may entail working less hours, moving more smoothly through your day by focusing on one task at a time, or taking a much-needed vacation.
• Schedule a couple of weeks of “recovery time” after each product release. Your team will need it as much as you do!
• Use productivity methodologies outlined in this blog and others such as Zen Habits to make the best use of your time. You’ll get more done in less time!
• If you feel your heart rate going up or become overwhelmed at work, take a few moments to breathe deeply.

See you at the finish line!